Home -> Law Blog Directory -> International Law Blogs -> prisonlawinsideout

International Law

: prisonlawinsideout

Noisy parrot case costs taxpayer more than £26,000

By John Hirst

Noisy parrot case costs taxpayer more than £26,000

A judge has criticised a council for spending £26,000 on a legal wrangle involving three noisy parrots, saying the costs were "out of all proportion" to the case.

Deborah Coleman's three Amazon parrots were made the subject of a noise abatement notice following complaints from neighbours over their squawking.

Miss Coleman, 50, maintained the parrots, Shilo, which she had owned for 20 years, Ozzie for 19, and Jengko for 12, were not making enough noise to be considered a nuisance.

To fight the abatement notice she remortgaged her home to raise £20,000 for the legal costs for a case against Weymouth borough council in Dorset.

Earlier this year, she had the order overturned by a court.

However, the council, which has spent £26,000 on the case, decided to appeal.

Who's a silly council? Who's a silly council? Who's a silly council?

Full post as published by prisonlawinsideout on November 01, 2008 (boomark / email).